


You Okay, Kiddo?

by MusicPlayer81



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Family Drama, Family Issues, Gen, family is messy, theirs especially so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27753565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicPlayer81/pseuds/MusicPlayer81
Summary: It's the morning after Chen Beifong found out just who her father is--all jolly fine and good, until she runs into both her uncle and her father.
Relationships: Bumi II & Tenzin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	You Okay, Kiddo?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I wrote this using my character Chen Beifong from "Guess I'm Going with You." This scene doesn't happen in that story, but considering I'm rewriting it...well, who knows? It does happen in the same vein as "Shaky Breath, Shaky Steps." If you're interested in reading more about Chen, please check out "Guess I'm Going with You," "A Conference for the Books," "A Study in Understanding," "Returnings," and "Reveals." Happy reading, reviews are much appreciated! :)

Chen had no idea what to wear.

This was not a particularly unusual problem—being an only child and heir to the wealthiest Earth Kingdom province meant that she was privy to a host of options not common to the average Republic City citizen. However, today presented a very,  _ very  _ different case.

Last night, her identity as Chen Mei-yin Beifong, daughter of Chief Lin Beifong  _ and  _ Master Tenzin of the Air Nomads had been revealed. What had started off as a peaceful dinner in the Northern Air Temple’s dining hall with Team Avatar had ended with her in tears and a screaming match between her mother and her—

Well, best not to think about that now, though easier said than done. She hadn’t even left her guest room yet and she could already feel everyone’s scrutinizing eyes upon her.

“Too delicate—no—too casual—too formal,” she murmured to herself, her fingers flicking over the clothes she had set up in her room’s armoire. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the unmistakable glint of metal. She turned around and nodded approvingly at the set of Metalbending armor set in the corner of the room.

“Perfect.” She lifted her arms, and in one fluid movement she molded the metal armor around her. She examined her arm greaves and how they shone like new in the sunlight.

Good.  _ Good. _

She peeked her head out of her and furtively looked around to check if the coast was clear. Satisfied, she slipped out the door and—

“Chen!”

The metal bender swiveled around and looked up in alarm to see her father’s brother walking towards her. Every fiber of her being wanted to fling herself back inside her room and lock the door behind her, but she stayed. She took a deep breath and straightened up more than she ever had, hands clasped behind her back as she puffed her chest up. “Sir,” she greeted crisply.

Bumi paused and regarded the girl in front of him for a moment—the girl who, with her wavy black hair, bright green eyes, and high cheekbones was the spitting image of her mother. “You don’t need to be so formal with me,” he said softly. “You can call me Uncle Bumi.”

Chen’s eyes watered and she looked down. No, he was just being polite, he didn’t mean it, not after yesterday—

“Bumi. Chen.”

The girl froze. Saffron robes appeared in her line of view, and she looked up to find—

To find—

“Tenzin,” Bumi said tartly. He drew himself up to his full height, towering over his brother. “Why are you here?”

“I was on my way to the dining hall, why else—“ Tenzin did a double take. “Oh. Hi, Chen, I didn’t see you there. How are—”

Bumi immediately took a step back and ushered Chen behind him as the Airbender walked towards them. He crossed his arms. “How are you? Really, Tenzin?”

Tenzin scowled. “Well, how else am I supposed to greet you and Chen?”

“Something like ‘Hi Bumi, Hi Chen, I am so very sorry for last night’ would be a start,” Bumi spat.

“I might have overreacted,” Tenzin stumbled. “But how else was I—“

“ _ Overreacted?” _ Bumi’s eyes narrowed. “You turning red as a tomato whenever someone compares you to Mom is overreacting. No, what you did was cruel, plain and simple.”

Tenzin’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t know if I would—cruel is such a strong word—“

“Tenzin, you called Lin a liar in front of everyone last night. Said she ‘must be mistaken.’ That you only have two daughters, not three, and they’re both air benders just like you.” 

Chen’s eyes stung with unshed tears, and she shrunk further behind Bumi. She had never once felt shame about being her mother’s daughter, but now she wanted to earthbend herself into the ground and never come out.

Bumi sensed Chen’s movement out of the corner of his eye. He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on his hips. “Have you even apologized to Lin yet? Have you even  _ thought  _ about how she’s feeling?”

Tenzin reddened further and began sputtering. “Well—I—“

“Of course you haven’t, because all you ever think of is yourself,” Bumi muttered. He massaged his temples. “Look, I am not having this conversation with you right now, and especially not in front of Chen. You wanna talk this out, go find Kya, or Pema. I’m sure they have their opinions about last night.”

The master airbender tried to form words, but nothing came out. He turned on his heel and walked out, his robes swishing behind him. Once he was far enough away, he turned to Chen. “You okay, kiddo?”

“I am, thanks to you,” she said softly. She cracked a small smile. “Thanks, Uncle Bumi.”

Bumi placed a hand on his niece’s shoulder and drew her into a hug. “Anything for you, kid.”


End file.
